2020 Census Grossly Undercounted Illinois Population By 250K Residents

ILLINOIS – A miscalculation in how Illinois residents were counted during the 2020 Census grossly misrepresented the idea that the state is losing residents when, in reality, the Land of Lincoln has grown by nearly 250,000 new residents over the past decade, a report released on Thursday indicated.

The United States Census Bureau released its findings on Thursday when Illinois was listed among the states whose populations were significantly miscounted during the most recent census. Rather than losing residents as the initial report indicated, Illinois is now at its largest population ever with more than 13 million residents.

On Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Illinois “a state on the rise” with a growing population and took a shot at Republicans, who have questioned his leadership and have “bad-mouthed” Illinois in the process.

“From boundless economic opportunities to booming economic development and leading institutions of higher education, Illinois has so much to offer our new residents,” Pritzker said in a statement on Thursday. “While it is disappointing that these numbers were not reflected in the initial count, I have already spoken to members of our congressional delegation and will work tirelessly to ensure Illinois receives its fair share of federal funding.

“I look forward to celebrating this development with all Illinoisans, including those who routinely badmouth our state.”

Illinois was among six states that experienced undercounts as Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas were all affected by miscalculations in the 2020 census, officials said Thursday.

Meanwhile, officials said that eight states – including Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island were overcounted in the 2020 census.

Illinois miscount of 250,000 residents accounts for an error of nearly 2 percent and initial calculations showed that the state had lost 18,000 residents over the past 10 years. Due to the error, the state lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the state’s population was reported as being 12,812,508.

Officials told NBC Chicago that with the state’s population actually being over 13 million residents, the state should be entitled to at least $100 million more in federal funding.